Seasonal, healthy and delicious vegetarian recipes, with the occasional cake thrown in for good measure!

Mini Easter Simnel Cakes

As Easter is coming up I thought I would get an Easter post written before it actually happens, rather than after! These are one of my favourite things to bake at Easter and are very easy to make. They aren’t a true simnel cake but have all of the important ingredients such as marzipan, mixed spice and nutmeg. Plus the addition go mini eggs! I love Easter I love being with my family and spending days cooking, it is bliss for me. This year it will probably be quite different as my sister will either have had her baby or be ready to so will be at her home, I will be working on the Easter Monday so I will be here so I’m going to have to come up with some ways to make it feel more like Easter.

Last night I put in yet another order with Lakeland for baking equipment so soon I will have some very exciting recipes coming up. I have a few ideas for some really good spring/summer recipes which I am very excited to try out! I just need to make the time to do it as I am going away for work in a couple of weeks time.

These are great on Easter Day to have with afternoon tea. The fruit can be substituted to fruits that you prefer and a lemon or orange icing on the top is also lovely, but I just really like cream cheese frosting!

Mini Easter Simnel Cakes

Ingredients

Zest and juice of one orange

250g mixed dried fruit

175g caster sugar

175g butter

300g self raising flour

3 eggs

5 tbsp milk

1 tsp mixed spice

1/2 tsp nutmeg

175g marzipan, cut into small cubes

300g icing sugar

50g butter

125g cream cheese

mini eggs

Method

Put the mixed fruit, orange zest and juice in a bowl and leave for a couple of hours for the fruit to soak up the juice.

Pre heat the oven to 180C/gas mark 4. Lightly grease 12 hole muffin tin or line with muffin liners. Cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs, flour, milk and spices and mix until everything is incorporated.

Fold in the fruit, plus and left over orange juice, and the marzipan. Spoon the cake mixture into the muffin tin and cook for 20 minutes. Once they have cooked leave to cool.

Once the cakes are cool mix the icing sugar and butter together until well mixed, then add the cream cheese and beat until it is light and fluffy. Spread over the top of the cakes and top with a few mini eggs.